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Gis Assisted Problem Analysis Of Trail Erosion In Monongahela National Forest, Steven J. Storck Dec 2011

Gis Assisted Problem Analysis Of Trail Erosion In Monongahela National Forest, Steven J. Storck

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This research investigates the frequency and patterns of trail erosion on purposefully selected natural surface trails in Monongahela National Forest. Trail erosion is considered a non-self-limiting process which degrades trail beds making them unattractive, difficult to travel on, and has the potential to impact local streams with the introduction of silt. Recreation ecology research delineates factors which influence the rate of erosion on a trail into three broad categories: recreational use, environmental conditions, and managerial actions. This study tests the relationship of variables from each of these categories to the local patterns of erosion. Three sampling strategies are used to …


Exploration Of Stream Habitat Spatial Modeling; Using Geographically Weighted Regression, Ordinary Least Squares Regression, And Natural Neighbor Interpolation To Model Depth, Flow, And Benthic Substrate In Streams, Kenneth R. Sheehan Dec 2011

Exploration Of Stream Habitat Spatial Modeling; Using Geographically Weighted Regression, Ordinary Least Squares Regression, And Natural Neighbor Interpolation To Model Depth, Flow, And Benthic Substrate In Streams, Kenneth R. Sheehan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Assessment and modeling of stream habitat are integral to understanding streams and the biota within them. In the past several decades, assessment sophistication of ecologic systems increased due to analysis power afforded by gains in computing capability. Spatial data analysis methodology grew alongside computing power and incorporated spatial qualities of ecological data, thereby providing new insights. New methods like geographically weighted regression (GWR) and more established methods like interpolation are now being used in ecological studies to guide assessments and management decisions. However, their accuracy and utility for analysis of stream habitat data have not been fully explored. To clarify …


Nesting Biology Of Osmia Cornifrons: Implications For Population Management, Matthew Mckinney Dec 2011

Nesting Biology Of Osmia Cornifrons: Implications For Population Management, Matthew Mckinney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The Japanese hornfaced bee, Osmia cornifrons (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) is a palearctic mason bee managed for the pollination of early season fruit crops such as apple and blueberry. Since its adoption as a managed pollinator in Japan during the 1940s, a large body of literature has amassed with the goal of enhancing O. cornifrons management practices. This research makes important contributions to that literature in two ways. First, the research describes the in-nest relationship of O. cornifrons and the cleptoparasitic mite pest Chaetodactylus krombeini. Distribution of male and female O. cornifrons and of C. krombeini was determined using linear and non-linear …


Evaluating The Effects Of Morrow's Honeysuckle Control On Vertebrate And Vegetation Assemblages, And Small Mammal Foraging Ecology At Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Charnee Lee Rose Aug 2011

Evaluating The Effects Of Morrow's Honeysuckle Control On Vertebrate And Vegetation Assemblages, And Small Mammal Foraging Ecology At Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Charnee Lee Rose

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Exotic, Japanese bush honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.; Caprifoliaceae) are tied to a variety of impacts on wildlife and ecosystems. Morrow's honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) has become a persistent invader in eastern North America. We organized a restoration initiative at Fort Necessity National Battlefield (FONE), Pennsylvania, USA from 2004--2010. Concurrently, we studied the consumption of Morrow's honeysuckle fruits by small mammals from October--November 2009 and July--August 2010, and determined habitat variables that affected visitation rate to foraging stations. Areas of FONE were invaded by Morrow's honeysuckle after the land had been cleared for agriculture, and routine mowing ceased in the mid-1980s. Our restoration …


Demographic Response Of American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius L.) To Climate Change, Sara Souther Jan 2011

Demographic Response Of American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius L.) To Climate Change, Sara Souther

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Ecological response to recent climate change has been documented for a multitude of species worldwide. Climate models predict further increases in temperature, as much as 8 times the degree of warming that has already occurred. Given observations of species response to contemporary climate change and the unprecedented degree of warming expected over the next century, climate change will no doubt determine future ecosystem composition and affect global species diversity. In order to prevent loss of biodiversity, it is necessary to understand and accurately project species' response to climate, and to identify species that are vulnerable to climate change driven extinctions. …